The Ravenwing Chronicles
by SperryDee
Summary: ON PERMANENT HIATUS
1. Morigan

The Ravenwing Chronicles  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything but Morigan, the hollow, and the village of Ballycara. Everything else belongs to whomever created X-Men.  
  
This is my first X-Men fic, so please review!  
  
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Prologue: Voices From the Past  
  
"You know as well as I do that having a girl as a firstborn is unlucky, and a strangeling like her is doubly bad. She can't stay here anymore," came a voice from above her, low and deep.  
  
"I understand husband, but what are we to do with her?" asked a second voice, this one high and soft.  
  
"There is a pond nearby, and it is raining outside. We'll leave her there and let nature take its course. We have to leave now, anyway. Our journey is far from done."  
  
The soft voice sighed. "I'll get a blanket. We'll keep the necklace around her neck, she deserves something nice in her short life."  
  
She was wrapped up in itchy cloth that scratched against her skin, and carried out into the rain. It was cold and the wind stung. She felt the cold hard ground beneath her and the waters of the pond beside her, but she didn't cry out, it wouldn't help. The waters soaked the blanket and grew closer and closer to her face, threatening to drown her...  
  
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Morigan woke with a start. She had been having that nightmare again. The first rays of dawn were peeking in through piece of bark she used as a door, and she dressed in her deerskin shirt and skirt, throwing her blackbird feather cloak over her shoulders for warmth in the chilly April air.  
  
She walked out of the hollow at the roots of the giant oak tree that was her home and made her way down to the nearby stream, splashing its cool water on her face. She began gathering the wild greens that were sprouting, since her winter store of nuts had run out three days before, and there was little to eat.  
  
She stored the greens in a small reed basket she had woven, and decided to go for a swim in the river. She stayed underwater until the sun was high in the clear blue sky, then dried off and decided to search for dinner. Spring was a good season for rabbits, and rabbit stew didn't taste too bad, either.  
  
Her arms grew feathers and became wings as she shapeshifted into a hawk, the kind normally found in the area, so as not to arouse interest. She took off from the ground and soared over the treetops to hunt for her next meal.  
  
Morigan returned for her hunt at sunset, having had no luck with finding anything. Looks like salad tonight, she thought. She was so absorbed in thinking of her meal, that when she shapeshifted back to human form, she didn't notice the teenage girl who had been gathering wood violets and had seen her transform.  
  
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The party of men from the village of Ballycara stormed into the clearing where Morigan lived. Seamus O'Shane's daughter, Mary Rose, said that she had seen a demon in girl form change from a hawk to a human and walk inside the oak tree. Outraged and half-drunk, they had stormed into the clearing to kill the demon.  
  
Morigan looked up from the figure she was carving when she heard the voices outside. Not thinking, she stepped out of the tree, and into the middle of the group of men. "Ah, there's the demon wench!" Flynn shouted. Morigan knew this was not good and bolted, becoming entangled in a briar patch.  
  
Flynn found her there and clasped his hands around her throat, trying to strangle her. Morigan wished urgently that the pain in her throat and the lack of oxygen would stop, though she knew it wouldn't help anything. Suddenly, Flynn fell to the ground, clawing at his throat as his face turned first scarlet, then purple, then blue, and then ash gray as he suffocated and died.  
  
Morigan knew she had to escape, and fast. She shapeshifted into seagull form and took flight, gaining as much altitude as she could. America was always called the land of opportunity, and since Ireland was no longer welcome to her, she would try her chances there. Goodbye, land that I love, she thought as she saw the line of smoke coming from the ashes of her former home in the oak tree. Goodbye forever.  
  
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*Next Chapter: NYC, thugs, and a mysterious savior.. 


	2. Mystique

*Disclaimer: see first chapter  
  
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Morigan landed in a backalley and shapeshifted back to human. It had taken her three days, without food or rest, to reach America, and now she was in New York City. She walked out of the alley, unsure of where to go next. Her plan had only gotten as far as getting away from Ireland, and she had no idea what she was going to do now. She had no food, no home, no money, and only the clothes on her back.  
  
"Well, what do we have here?" asked a boy, walking out from the shadows. "Looks like a little girl, missing her parents."  
  
"I don't mean you any trouble," Morigan said, prepared to bolt. "You go on with your business, and I'll go on with mine."  
  
"Oh, I don't think you understand, girly. You've intruded on our territory, and you gotta pay the price." Some other boys stepped out of the shadows, surrounding Morigan. One of them raised a fist, but suddenly, dropped to the ground.  
  
A flash of turquoise and scarlet sped through her line of vision, knocking the two of the boys down, and making the others run away, shouting curses. Morigan wondered what the turquoise and scarlet thing would do to her, and she dashed off down the street, but didn't make it far before she collapsed of sheer exhaustion.  
  
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Morigan woke up on a lumpy mattress in a small, cozy room. "W-where am I?" she asked drowsily.  
  
"You're in my home," answered a strange voice. "Here, drink this," the voice said, putting a bowl of hot soup in Morigan's hands. Morigan opened her eyes, adjusting to the dim light. The only other person in the room was a turquoise-skinned woman with short scarlet hair, and oddly- textured skin. "Who are you?" she asked after she finished the soup.  
  
"I'm Mystique," the woman said, taking the bowl and placing it in a small sink on the opposite side of the room. "I brought you here after you passed out. I know you're a mutant, like me."  
  
Morigan sat bolt upright. "I-I'm not a mutant, I don't know what you're talking about," she said evasively.  
  
"I saw you shapeshift from seagull form in that alley," Mystique said as she washed some dishes. "I followed you, interested because I had never met another shapeshifter. When those thugs were about to kill you, I attacked them and brought you here."  
  
"You're a shapeshifter, too? I thought I was the only one. I've never met someone who wasn't a normal human before."  
  
"There're a lot more mutants out there, all with different powers, but as far as I know, we're the only 'shifters. Look, you can't stay here. I know a place where you can go, where you'll be with other mutants. It's not that far away."  
  
"Why can't I stay here?" Morigan asked.  
  
"Because I have amends to make, and this is just a temporary place for me. The Xavier Institute is a school, a refuge for people like us, especially young ones. You can trust Professor Xavier."  
  
Morigan watched Mystique warily. "Are you sure? How far away is it? Why do you have to make amends?"  
  
Mystique shook her head and sighed. "So many questions. You will be safe at the institute, I promise. It's only about two week's journey northwest, if you go by foot. As for why I have to make amends, well, it's a long story."  
  
"So? Tell me. I don't mind long stories."  
  
"All right," Mystique said, sitting down in a chair. "It all started with revenge. I wanted to make humans pay for how I had been treated when I was younger. A mutant named Magneto was looking for other mutants to help him wage war against the humans. I joined up, thinking that I could get revenge. I didn't really do much thinking after that, I just did what I was told. I did a lot of things during that time that I'm sick with myself for doing, like murder. Eventually, I left. I was really depressed, and I felt hollow inside. I decided I needed to make amends for all the horrors I'd committed. I still need to do that."  
  
"You killed people?" Morigan was shocked.  
  
"Look, what I did was horrible, and I've put that behind me. Promise me you'll never get revenge, promise."  
  
"Okay. I, Morigan, promise never to get revenge. Is that okay?"  
  
"Thanks."  
  
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	3. The Institute

*Thanks to my reviewers! I love you guys! Since my friends think I'm nuts for writing this, you're the only positive feedback I get, and I really appreciate it!  
  
*This chappie: The Institute and Morigan meets Storm.  
  
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Morigan pulled her blackbird feather cloak tighter around her against the cold rain. It had been two weeks since she and Mystique had parted, and Morigan had traveled the long distance to Westchester by foot, not daring to shapeshift and walking through the woods, avoiding roads and towns. Unfortunately, there wasn't much by way of food on her route, and she hadn't eaten in a week and a half, except for some sour berries that made her sick.  
  
A large gated place loomed before her. Climbing over the gate, she walked up to the front door of the largest building and knocked on the door.  
  
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Ororo Monroe, also known as Storm, was in the library, reading. She couldn't get to sleep, for some reason. When she heard the knocks on the door, she wondered who it was. Who could be arriving at this hour?  
  
She walked to the door and opened it to reveal a tall, malnourished- looking young girl with long, matted black hair and dark eyes that held a hunted look. She only clothing was a simple deerskin tunic and skirt with moccasins, and a black feather cloak.  
  
"Is this the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters?" The girl asked politely. "I was told this was a safe place for, for people that are different."  
  
"This is as safe a place as any," Storm replied. "Come inside."  
  
The girl followed silently. "Where are you taking me?" she finally asked.  
  
"To Professor Xavier, who runs the school," Storm said.  
  
"Oh. I'm Morigan, by the way."  
  
"Ororo. You can call me Storm, though."  
  
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When they reached the professor's study, Storm knocked on the door lightly.  
  
"Come in," a voice answered. They walked in, and Morigan saw a man in a wheelchair with a book in one hand. 'Your flight is over, young one,' his voice said in her head, startling her. 'You are safe here.'  
  
Storm left, leaving Morigan alone with the professor. "Hello, Morigan," he said.  
  
"How did you know my name?" Morigan asked.  
  
"My mutation. It allows me to read people's minds and control people's actions," the professor said calmly. "Yours, on the other hand, is very unique, even for a mutant. You don't even know the full extent of your powers, do you?"  
  
Morigan shook her head no. "There's a lot of stuff I don't know, Professor. My heritage, my past, not even my age. And likely, I'll never find out."  
  
"I wouldn't be so sure. I can help you discover your past, Morigan."  
  
"Thanks, but I'm not sure I even want to know." Morigan yawned.  
  
"Perhaps we can continue this discussion later, once you've had some rest. The girls' rooms are not far from here, and there's an empty one you can have. Follow me."  
  
Morigan obeyed, then when the professor left, she curled up under the blankets and went to sleep.  
  
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Next Chappie: Surprises and Morigan discovers some history. 


	4. A Nighttime Surprise

*I decided to continue this fic, after all.  
  
*This chapter: Morigan gets some surprises, and what happens when she meets Nightcrawler?  
  
~~~ = dream/end dream  
  
****  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Morigan was running, but she couldn't escape. "Demon!" came a cry from behind her. Her heart was pounding as she dashed as fast as she could, trying to get as far away as possible. As she ran brambles tore at her, shredding her flesh, but she no longer cared about pain.  
  
"Celtic witch! Sorceress! Daughter of the devil!" The shouts were getting louder, more numerous. Why were these people chasing her? She came to the edge of a cliff, but lost her balance and fell, tumbling head over heel over head until........  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Morigan sat bolt upright, breathing hard. Why was it that nightmare came so easily here? Or maybe they were memories. She didn't know. Her memories only went back about two years, except for the nightmares that came occasionally, even more often now that she was at the Institute.  
  
Slipping on her clothes, she padded down the hallways silently. It was just past moonrise, time to be up. She wasn't usually nocturnal, but the reactions of the other students when they saw her were enough to convince her to stay out of their way. Getting up at moonrise and going to bed at dawn seemed to work the best; the curtains in her room were dark enough to blot out the sun's rays, and the lock on her door was quite secure. Even though she was surrounded by people, Morigan, as always, was very much alone.  
  
She walked to the kitchen, grabbing a piece of bread and some fruit. She had tried butter and milk, occasional delicacies for her in her old life, and decided that they were too rich to be more than just that, delicacies. She ate while she looked at the day's paper. Nothing very interesting, in her opinion. Then she walked out of the kitchen........and into someone.  
  
Morigan yelped in surprise. "Sorry!" she immediately blurted out.  
  
"Nein, I am sorry," came the reply. Morigan looked up, seeing a pair of startlingly yellow eyes looming at her out of the darkness. Her eyes went wide and she stepped back hurriedly. Who was this person? 'Well, only one way to find out.' "It was my fault, sir, I wasn't watching where I was going. I didn't expect anyone to be heading to the kitchen this late at night."  
  
"It is all right, I should have watched where I teleported," he replied.  
  
'Teleported? Interesting'. "If you don't mind me asking, sir, who are you? I don't know that many people here, I'm afraid."  
  
"Nein, I do not mind. I am Kurt Wagner, but in the Munich Circus I was called the Incredible Nightcrawler!" He grinned at her.  
  
'Where's Munich?' "You were in a circus? That's wonderful! I'm Morigan, by the way. Just Morigan."  
  
**********  
  
Okay, here's a bit of a poem I wrote about Morigan:  
  
Raven-Child, What do you remember? The ships that sailed not long ago, Have left you behind. Lonely One, When it is spring outside, Why is your heart December? Why do you always hide? You don't know the past, Saved by another of your kind, Have you at last found a roost?  
  
*Please review! 


	5. Rejection

*Thanks to my reviewers! XM6, you rock!  
  
^^^^ = flashback/end flashback  
  
*******  
  
Morigan pondered the night's events as she wandered through the gardens. Mr. Wagner seemed familiar, in a way she couldn't place. Not just because he looked like her rescuer, the same eyes, similar skin and scent, but from back before memory, somehow. He said he had been in a circus, maybe she had seen a poster once. Maybe the circus had passed through Ballycara or somewhere.  
  
Memories aside, he seemed nice enough. More than she could say about the others at the institute. She remembered the way the other students had reacted to her the morning after she arrived.  
  
^^^^^^^  
  
It had started out innocently enough, just going to the kitchen for some cereal. Maybe it was her torn deerskin skirt and shirt, maybe it was the fact that she didn't really look normal: dark almond-shaped eyes that seemed like they could trap you with their deepness, pale skin with plenty of healing wounds, ink-black hair that was so tangle a brush would break at the sight of it, she looked like a nightmare, or one of those feral children you sometimes read about in newspapers, which wasn't so far off, since technically, she was.  
  
Morigan observed the other students for a while and decided to get a bowl of cereal. The one called 'Froot Loops' seemed to be most popular, and while the idea of eating multicolored rings of unidentified plant material didn't exactly appeal to her, one will eat anything when one is starving. So she took a bowl off the stack on the counter, grabbed a spoon, and poured a small amount of cereal into it.  
  
She then sat down at an empty chair at one of the tables. Next to her was a girl with short black hair and almond-shaped eyes. "I haven't seen you around here before," the girl said brightly. "When'd ya get here?"  
  
"Last night," Morigan replied uncertainly. She had never been around this many people before, and she was horribly nervous.  
  
"Really? Where from? Name's Jubilation Lee, by the way, but everyone calls me Jubilee."  
  
"I'm Morigan. I used to live in Ireland, in Ballycara on the Dingle Peninsula."  
  
"Nice to meet you. So, what's your power? Mine's blowing up stuff, pretty much." Jubilee held out her hand and sparks flew from it.  
  
"I'm a shapeshifter."  
  
Jubilee looked shocked. The kitchen went so quiet, you could've heard a pin drop.  
  
"You're a what?"  
  
"A shapeshifter. I can change my form to look like different things. Just animals, though, not people. Though then again, I never tried much more than hawk form for hunting rabbits or raven form to travel."  
  
"Oh," Jubilee said, quickly getting up and moving to another spot, far away from Morigan. The others began to edge away slowly, as well.  
  
'What did I do?' Morigan wondered as she finished her cereal in silence. She placed her bowl in the sink with the others, and walked out of the kitchen. As she did, she caught snatches of other's whispered conversations:  
  
"Mystique-in-training."  
  
"Probably lying to us. You can't trust a shapeshifter, they're too shifty. I'll bet she changes who she is as easily as you change clothes, Amara."  
  
"Look at those eyes! Just...black! Not right, not right at all!"  
  
"Why couldn't she have just stayed in Ireland?"  
  
"Where'd she get her clothes, a wildlife preserve?"  
  
"She looks like she's never been in a house before. Probably hasn't. Who'd want a shapeshifter for a kid?"  
  
Morigan couldn't take it. She dashed out of the kitchen like there were wolves at her heels, out of the Institute and into the gardens, where she shinnied up a large, leafy tree and stayed there, crying. No one followed, no one noticed. "What's wrong with me?" she cried out. "Why am I an outcast, just because I'm a shapeshifter? And what do they have against Mystique? She saved my life! Okay, she had things to make amends for, but who doesn't? God forgives us all our sins!"  
  
Morigan was a devout Catholic. Back in Ireland, she had flown miles to the nearest church, Saint Joan's, for Mass every Sunday. Even though her rosary was lost in the fire, she still prayed for guidance, for help, for a sign that she was in the right place. Exhausted from crying, she fell into dreamless sleep, not waking until nightfall.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Morigan sat in the tree she had subconsciously claimed as her own, praying and thinking, until dawn loomed and she went back to bed, dreaming of a place where she would be accepted.  
  
****** 


	6. A Chat in the Library

*Thanks to XM6, my favorite reviewer!  
  
*Anyone here like Mystique? 'Cause I'm starting my very own fanclub! Email me at SperryDee13@msn.com if you wanna join!  
  
*Responses:  
  
*Spikey the Neon Blowfish: Why is everyone so mean? She's a shapeshifter, and their distrust of Mystique, unfortunately, carries over to her, even though she can only change into animals.  
  
*asa majikku: cool name! What's it mean?  
  
*XM6: Thanks for reviewing, as always!  
  
^^^^= begin/end dream  
  
////// = begin/end flashback ******  
  
Morigan wandered into the library, in a slightly better mood than she normally would've been in. She had just finished watching the best movie she had ever seen, on the recommendation of Mr. Wagner, who she now was quite friendly with. He was like an older brother, mostly. And when he had heard of her interest in cinema, he had suggested she watch the classic swashbuckler, "Captain Blood".  
  
It had been better than she had expected. Much better. Even though it was in black and white, which Morigan did like, it seemed the older the movies were, the better the quality, it was the most wonderful movie she had ever watched. Okay, the only ones she had seen were "Gone With the Wind", Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds", and the version of "Pride and Prejudice" with Colin Firth.  
  
She had gone to return the movie, and perhaps find another book to read. She had just finished re-reading the Lord of the Rings series, one of her favorites. She liked the Two Towers the best, mostly because a large part of it took place in a forest not so unlike where she had lived back in Ireland. However, she didn't expect to find the lights in the library on, not this late.  
  
"Good evening, Morigan," the professor said calmly. "Though, considering the hour, I suppose morning would be a better term."  
  
"Hello, Professor," Morigan replied, rather surprised. "Why are you up this late?" The instant the question was out, she regretted it. "Not meaning to pry or anything."  
  
"I could ask you the same question, if I didn't already know the answer," he answered back. "I know what happened at breakfast that day."  
  
"I should've expected it, Professor. Most people don't really like me. I'm too different from them. I mean, those students probably grew up with parents, being loved, being normal children until their mutations kicked in. I don't remember much of my past, my parents abandoned me, and until recently, I've had to hunt down my food every day so I can get what little I need to survive. I'm just too strange to fit in."  
  
"I don't believe that, Morigan. They just need to get to know you. Everyone has problems fitting in at first."  
  
Morigan snorted. "I most certainly doubt that," she said, then realized that she had spoken aloud. "I meant no offense, of course, Professor."  
  
Xavier disregarded the comment with a wave of his hand. "Do you want me to talk to the students?"  
  
Morigan's already pale face went stark white, and her eyes grew wide with horror. "No, not at all, Professor," she blurted. "Really, I think it'd do more help than harm, but thanks for the thought."  
  
"You're welcome. This is just a suggestion, but perhaps if you made your habits a bit more diurnal, the students might accept you more. After all, I'm sure not everyone thinks all shapeshifters are bad, but how are you going to know unless you stop avoiding them?"  
  
"Thank you, Professor. That's very good advice. Perhaps I shall try it sometime," Morigan said, returning the movie and looking for a new book.  
  
"By the way, if you're looking for something to read, perhaps you should read Tamora Pierce's The Immortals series. They're just over there, right before the Tolkien books, and who knows, you might like them."  
  
"Thank you for the idea. I believe I shall." Morigan picked out the first book, Wild Magic. There was a picture of a girl with wolves beside her on the cover. 'This looks interesting.' "Goodbye, Professor."  
  
"Goodbye, Morigan. And do think about my suggestion." Xavier wheeled himself out of the room, and Morigan soon followed, to sleep until the sun rose. He did have a good idea, and hey, there's no time like the present.  
  
*******  
  
| This  
  
| Line | Leads  
  
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| Button  
  
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| Please  
  
| Click  
  
| And  
  
| Review!  
  
V 


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